The present invention relates to a spectrometer and spectral method for use with a test circuit containing a component or device whose properties are to be measured over a frequency range. The component may hold a sample of material whose electrical properties are to be determined over the frequency range.
The invention is particularly but not exclusively concerned with the measurement of complex permittivity. Known techniques of permittivity measurement divide into single-frequency (Q-meter, bridge, phase-sensitive-detector) and multi-frequency (transient-step response and pseudo-random-noise) techniques. Laboratory apparatus employed for the more exacting measurements appears to call for particular skills on the part of the user. Transient techniques have been of particular interest in recent years and heralded major advances in speed of measurements at low frequencies at an accuracy sufficient to satisfy many investigations.